dblhelix

Hi Heather, The photos are nice. Did you do any post processing on them? I am no expert, but how close were you to the subject? If I interpret the EXIF data correctly it looks like you had the lens pretty well zoomed in at 105mm. Depending on the glass this can result in some distortion. Most lenses will produce the best images somewhere in the middle of the focal range. Also, the ISO is at 400. I am not sure of the specs on your camera off hand, but lower ISO will result in crisper images. 400 is not that high, but lowering to 200 or 100 in good lighting will be better. Lastly, play with the aperature (F stop). The EXIF shows it was taken at F5.6. Lower the F value (open the aperature) for less depth of field and raise it if you want more. Practice with different values. I would not go below a shutter speed of 1/60 with hand held shots and that may be slow if the subject moves at all. I bet Frank would have more feedback as may others. Much as anything, practice with different settings etc. Happy shooting. Keep em coming! B)

I dont have info that would indicate cell phones are any more dangerous to birds than to us. The verdict and true affect of all the magnetic fields, radiation, high frequency signals etc we surround ourselves with is really not in yet! Time will tell. I have often wondered weather the infrared beams sent from most TV remotes and the newer wireless game systems (like Wii) are bad for the birds. I know their vision is different than ours and I have noted a few times that Kip seems kinda freaked out sometimes when I use our TV remote, even if she is pretty far away. Not sure that would be "bad" for them, but I wonder if they can see the IR beam?

Kimi is super cute! Looks like Kimi is having a blast!! Does he seem to preen normally on the wings and can he/does he extend them to stretch etc? Thanks for sharing and keep us posted! B)

Greetings matt47389 and welcome. It sounds like you are doing a great thing in rehoming a bird in great need. That being said, a bird with the history of abuse and physical impairment may be very challenging. Do you have experience with caring for parrots/birds in general? It is expected that this bird will be very afraid and shy, possibly for a long time. I bet you can win it over through consistent patience, love and calm interations. What a rewarding experience this could be for you both if you have the right approach. Dont expect too much too soon, Grey's are often slow to change their ways and an abused on may take quite some time to trust you. Please provide us more info about the bird and yourself and we will be glad to help. I think its really great that you are rehoming this bird and hope you are in it for the long run. You will get out what you put in and will ultimately acheive a relationship that will reward you 1000 times over.

Christina, I would even out the current clip on Finnigan so the wings are balanced. Having 1 wing clipped and another unclipped (or an extreme imbalance) is generally considered quite bad for the bird and even worse than a severe but even clipping. Dont do the clip yourself unless experienced, but I would recommend having them evened out.

Thanks all. Kip is a happy girl and learning more and more independence. This is an adjustment for owner and bird as now the bird can easily fly off that perch etc when previously if you put them there they were sort of "stuck". B) My experience with keeping flighted birds shows that this will be manageable with some time and training. She also is clearly more agile when climbing around on cage, swings etc as she uses her wings to balance her body, small flaps to help her flip around etc. Makena - Kip was clipped when we got her at around 6 mo's. I am not sure exactly when she was clipped but I think it was pretty young. She was not fully fledged though according to the breeder she was not clipped until she had 1 or 2 flight attempts. In Kip's case the molt of the primaries started around 12 months and completed just in the last few weeks at around 18 months old! Her flying capabilities progressed significantly as more and more flights came in. Now she can hover, bank, fly up, down and is not afraid to "jump" off swings, perches etc as she trusts now that once in the air, she can fly! She comes to me when I call her and lands on my outstreched hand. Always keep the landing pad stable, do not move it to the bird, regardless of their approach, let them come to you and zero in on the landing pad! It is a work in progress, we had to encourage her at first, lots of praise etc. B)<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2008/01/03 16:42

Here are a few pics of Kip practicing flying to me with her new wings...all flights are in now and she is becoming quite proficient. Her overall agility/balance moving around is also markedly up B) Not the best quality pics, but you get the idea. In the first one she says "Fly!!" before taking off! <br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2008/01/03 02:38

Thanks Chapala. Yes to be accurate Kale and Collard Greens are not the same, though they are both cabbage (Brassica oleracea Acephala Group) and genetically very similar. I need to try out the birdie burrito idea! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kale

Another really good leafy green (that Kip seems to like) is "Kale" (aka collard greens). Thanks for sharing about the Broccoli Rabe!

Super Cute!! B)

Hi tickle and WELCOME! We hope you enjoy it here and look forward to hearing more about you and your bird. Regarding the Karma, it is a way to let another user know you appreciated their post/contribution. We generally do not encourage using negative karma, just give someone a thumbs up if you appreciated what they wrote. There is more detail about Karma in the FAQs section if you poke around in there! B)

Dont try remove the band(s) yourself as this could easily result in a broken leg or injury. If you want it removed, have a qualified avian vet do it. B)

Thanks for the update. Glad to hear Kimi is healthy in general. Sounds like the genetic wing condition makes the little one that much more special to provide a loving home for. Probably is worth contacting the breeder for discussion if possible. All the best and happy new year!

Since it came off w/o any problem leave it off. Keep the band(s) with other documents etc you may have on Bella. Its probably better with the band(s) off anyways as some birds get them caught/stuck on things in cage etc and this can cause injuries.

Laurie, My condolences to you and your family. Drop in any time, were are here for you. All the best, Mark

Super cute!! If anyone is wondering, there is no need to cook the corn. You can give them fresh sweet corn on the cob and many birds enjoy this. Kip loves it and gets some fresh corn on the cob offered everyday. Sometimes cubed, sometimes I skewer the whole cob and hang in her cage. She makes a lovely mess out of most of it but surely eats some! B) Living in California is great for getting fresh veggies/fruit of all types all year long!

Their maturity is similar to humans and this makes some sense given that their life span is not all that different than ours. The information I have seen shows most become sexually mature between 8 and 12 years of age. If others have more/different information I would be glad to know. Also like humans they go through a series of stages as they grow towards sexual maturity where they may be more inquisitive, assertive, aggressive etc.

Sory to hear about all this Frank, but do appreciate the update. Must be difficult. Hang in there, things will turn for the better. I wish you all the best for a healthy and prosperous new year. B)

Wow. This post seems to have started out well intended, but sheesh...this is a public forum. You dont need to add any personal info to have an account here. While we want users and members to participate and have fun, the truth is you dont need to participate at all. The site has no obligation to protect users and never indicated that information will be private. If you made that assumption and expect a free public forum to protect your identity then you are being foolish. I agree, THIS IS NOT ONLINE BANKING. Use the site, learn/share about our birds, have fun...or dont. Its up to you, just as it is up to you to use common sense and only share information in a public forum that is appropriate.

The boric acid powder is also a relatively bird safe way to deal with fleas if anyone ever has that problem. Hope you get those pesky roaches under control.. :sick:

How much broke off? It should grow back assuming there is nothing else wrong with the bird. Do you have any pictures to share of the beak? The beaks do go through growth cycles where parts are shed. It is not all that common for them to break their beaks eating, though it can happen. Chances are it will be fine. Keep us posted.

Properly performed DNA testing or surgical sexing are the only sure ways, short of your bird popping out an egg when sexually mature. DNA testing is really the best since its pretty cheap (~$30 US) and relatively non-invasive to the bird. As with all tests there is always the possibility of a lab error, but the chances are pretty low. I am not sure if the info suggested on sex prevalance in CAGs is accurate or not. Only way I know of to tell would be a survey. Anyone want to put one together? Owners here that know the sex through confirmed means could participate.

I want to echo the spirit of this thread... THANKS TO EVERYONE HERE THAT IS PART OF THE FAMILY, PARTIIPATES AND CONTRIBUTES. W/O ALL OF US, THIS PLACE WOULD NOT BE WHAT IT IS! IT IS TRULY UNIQUE AND ITS BECAUS OF ALL OF US!! B) Happy Holidays to everyone and all the best for a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year. :laugh:

Hi Joe, I think I can speak for most that this announcement is shocking and we do not want you to leave. You are a valued member here. Many of us are confused as we do not understand why this drastic turn of events? Obviously personal decisions are up to each of us. If you have decided for some reason you must leave we all will respect that, though we would hate to see you go. If there is anything any of us can do please let us know. Best, Mark

Mgoertzen5, Plucking can be complex so we will need more info to try and help. You mention Mango is 10 yrs old but you have only had her for 2 months. What were the circumstances in her life prior to you having her? Do you know if she plucked before you had her? The new living circumstances and change may well be playing a role in the plucking. Of course, it is usually also important to rule out health related issues by a vet. However, in many cases plucking is a result of some emotional/psychological issues. If you provide more information we may be able to help you get to the bottom of the issues. Let us know. There are many people here with experience that can likely provide suggestion. Again, one thing to consider is ruling out any medical issues. I hope with a little time and investigation you can help Mango overcome whatever is causing the current plucking you mention.